Automatic sprinkler-head.



G. E. HIBBARD.

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLEB. HEAD.

PPLIUATION FILED JUNI: v, 1901. nnwnn un. e, 190s.

922, 140. Patented my 1s, 1909.

llilll" @wanton attenua? grs l UNITED STATE spit/timbri* onirica.

40 its ,leaves bein when the adhering soit metal has melted and Specification of Lettore Patent.

Patented May 18, 1909.

Applicatiomliled June 7. 1907, Serial No. 377,614A Renewed April 6, 1909. Serial No. 188,293.

To all whom it may concern.'

Bc it known that I, (.sonor; E. Humain, citizen o1' the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinoie, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Sprinkler- Heads, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatic sprinkler heads employed in connection with the iping of fire-extinguisher systems erected or the protection o buildings.

One object of my invention is the particu lar construction of the fusible link, forming ,5 that element of the sprinkler head the integ rity of which retains the valve of the sprinkler head closed, and the disintegration oi -which by heat frees the valve and permits the escape of the Water in the heated locality.

` Anothe; object of myfinvention is the pro- `duction of s iecial devices `for closing the mouth of the bell cover for the sprinkler head enabling thc cover to be sealed .entirely ainst the entrance of moisture or dirt, with the valve-ho ding device for any ngth of time in their original condition of readiness to field to heat, regardless of external dustlaclen or humid atmosphere.

t e result o i reserving all operatin parts of su I accomplish the started ob'eets by forming and associating the parts as i lustrated in the accompanying drawings, of which-- Figure l represents, somewhat enlai ed, a vertical section of the cover or belLdisc osing e5 `the internal devices some of which are also shown sectionally.4 2 is a bottom plan view and shows the divided diaphra m clos ing the mouth of thc bell. FiF. 3 il ustrates the=partieularly constructed mk by itself,

in theypositions assumed the link is disinte rating. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are face or broadside views of the three leaves vor plates which when assembled and er soldered comprise the link.

The same number is used to refer to the same art throughout.

In gig. I, the bell or cover the olice of which is to keep out dust and irt, is marked 0 1. It incloses all the parts and extends` 'downwardly to a plane slihtly above the `junction of the frame 2 wit nozzle 3 oi the piping. From opposite sides of the frame project )ins 4, and against these pins are .5 placed t e twin plates 5, '5, constituting to gather a circular diaphragm having its pe- .strained by engagement wit riphery seated in the annular shoulder 6 into w ich the fia e 7 is fashioned at the mouth ol' the bell. t will be noted that lates 5 each possess a one-half part of two l' e elliptical open' s 8 arranged at the sides of the middle cirmlar o ening 9, as they ap ear in Fig. 2 when the a etes are together. he eircular opening ormed by the union of the plates fits around the nozzle 3, and the elliptical openings about the upr' htsof frame 2. The contour of the plates as ldescribed leaves two points 10 at the diametrical edge of each hell plate which meet those of the companion plate immediately above the base of the frame as shown in Fig. l. Thus each plate has outerlying portions resting below the projecting pins 4, and points 10 arranged above the basepf frame 2. Arra ed in that manner, the plates are suciexliy held in position closing the mouth of the bell, and, yet, they are easily displaced. after the plates are in position, to pour over them melted wax as much as the flange of the cover will hold. The sheet of wax 11, see

`Fig. 1, successfully excludes the dust and moisture, and, at the same time effectuall secures the plates in place. A very small rise in local temperature serves to run oi the wax.

vThe bell itself is held b solderin the forked in 12 into the nip e. 13, the Tower end of t e pin being secure centrally in the top. of adjusting screw 14 that has the usual threaded eng ement with the frame. When the solder me ts the cover is thrown off by the reaction of spring 15 shown as a compressed coil about the pin 12. That arrangement of arts is in accordance with Letters Patent o the United States granted to me January 26, 1904 No. 750,768.

Valve 16, the o 'loe of which 'is to close nozzle 3 of the piping, is held to its, seat in the customari way by co-acting lever arms 17 and 18, t e inner portions of which constitute a tog le joint arrangement extending;Y from the adjusting screw 14 tothe valve 16. The outermost hook-ends of the lever arms have their normal tendenc to separate reli the link that is part of my present invention.

Three leaves or plates 19 20 and 21, are nien to bund up the link. f eine the utling plates 19 and 2l are usuallv thinner t an the middle plate 20. All tie plates have' corresponding transverse. bends 22 of the same-size and adapted to fit into each It is my practice,

other as illustrated in Fig. 1. Outer platos I9 and 2l, see Figs. 4 and (l, are provided with open recesses 23 extending from their upper edges downwardly toward the bends 22, and slots 24 below the bends. It is shown also that the lower edges 25 of the outer plates are bent outwardly from the plane of those plates. That peculiarity will o again referred to` In the middle plate the positions of the slot 26 and recess 27 are i reversed as compared with the outer plates.

When the plates are assembled as illustrated, it is thought to he clear that the outermost end of lever arm 18 engages and asses through the slots in both outer plates elow bends 22, while the like extremity of arm 17, the. upper arm, passes through the slot of the middle plate. The plates heilig held to each other by thesolder 28, the en ds ol' the arms are prevented from separating and the valve 16' 'is kept to its seat. As usual, the oilice ofthe bends 22 is to relieve direct strain upon the solder which is necessarily more orless yielding.

Upon bein released by the melting of the solder the p at-es se arate with the movement of the engage ends of the arms, the outer plates proceeding downwardly and the middle )late u wardly. It has been demonstrated. y tria that where allthe plates are of the same length, the seating of bends 22 one within another interposes considerable resistance' occasionally to the promp( and complete disintegration of the lin T9 avoid this objection, I have constructed the middle link 20 shortest belowthe bend 22,

seo Figs. 1 and 3, and have turned thev lower edges of the outer plates away from each other. Such construction resultsin permittin the upper edges ofthe outer plates -19 am 21 to swing outwardl)r awa from each other when released, allowing t 1e bends 22 to readily unseat themselves and the middle plate 20 to pass upwardly and away without iindrance. Fig; 3 best illustrates the effect of the outwardly turned lower edge-sof plates 19 and 21 in bringing about a wide separation of the upper portions of those plates and the easy disengagement of'middle plate 20. The thin additional `plate 29 shown in Fig. 1

as fixed across the hollow of bend 22 of outer plate, upon which may-be plate 21 is a tag or other data stamped the number, situation, relating to the sprinkler head.

llavinir thus i ascribed my invention and explained the modo of its operation, 'what I claim Iisy l. ln a sprinkler head, the combination with a cover, a diaphragm removably engaging the frame and adapted to close the month i ofthc cover of :i l'rainc )rejecting into the cover. u. valve. valve-hoh ing devices includingr o solder joint and arranged between the said frainc and the valve, the said cover and frame connected h v a solder Joint, and the said joint between the cover and frame being independent of the solder joint goveming the valve-,holding devices.

2. 1n' a sprinkler head, the combination with a bell or cover, of a frame, the cover having a soldered connection with the frame adapted to be released by heat, and a diaphragm comprising separable component plates constructed to removably on ago the rame and close the mouthl of the belg 3. In a sprinkler head, the combination with a bell or cover, of a frame, the cover having a soldered connection with the frame adapted to be released bf heat, and a diaphragm comprising dup icute soniicircular lates constructed to removably en age the rame and close the mouth of thc belli 4. In a sprinkler head, the oinnbination with a bell or cover, of a frame, thc cover having a soldered connection with the frame adapted to be released by heat aspring normal y compressed Between the ball and frame and operating to throwfthe cover ol'l the frame, and a/diaphragm constructed to -rcniovably engage'thefranie andcloso the mouth of the bell.

5. In a sprinkler head, the combination with a bell or cover having an expanding Aflange at its mouth, of a frame, the cover having a soldered connection with the frame adapted to he released by heat, a diaphragm adapted to removably en a-ge the frame and close the mouth of the be l, and wax sealing 7. In' a sprinkler head, a link compfiaing A A outer and middle plates each having a recess and a slot and a-transvcrse bend between the' recessand slot, the said soldered together with one within another, plats' boing arra. d a and the slots of t e outerl bend, and the said mid e plates shorter below the bendthan the said outer the slotof the middle bove the said bond lates below the` .v

. plates, for the purpose described. i 8. In a sprinkler head, a link comprising,

outer lplates each having an edgobent awa from t e planeof the plate, anda 'ddl plata, l the said outer and middle platea a' recess' and slot and a transverse tween the. recess 1 to-be soldered toglether with the bends seated."l

ione within anot la ada ted tob tlie bends seated a eachiiiid and slot, said'pla'tea adapted er, the slot of theiiiidillea.v

covering the diaphragm exteriorly within the iid? ' plate being arranged labove the'snid bond and the slots ol the outer plates below thvfhend, ai'imd the said middle plato heilig shorter helow the bend than the said outer plates, for Vthe purpose' deseribed. i 9. In a sprinkler hea/d, e link comprising;` outer and ,middle plates, e'nchof said plates having `frslot 'and a. recess, seidwplates adapt# ed to be soldered together and 'arranged whereby the slot ofl the middle plate registers -with the' reeess'es ofthe opter plates and the `slots of the outer plates roadster-,Vith the f,

yrecess of the-middle plete,A tf le said outer pletes'exteniling below the edge of 4the mid;

die plate, l'or the purpose described.

i 10. In a, sprinkler head', a. link comprising outer plateseaehhaviiig'an end portion lient away from the. plone ol' the plete, and a midilleplate, each of said 4plates having 'a slot mid n recess 'the said bent ends closing said slots in the outer pletes, sa id pleteshadapted to be soldered together andjarran ed whereby the slot of themiddleI 'plate registers with- .the recesses, of the 'outer plates nd thesl'ts of the outer plates registefwliththe 'recess of the middle plate, thesad beritfend of the l Vontelplates extendinlg divergently below the l eolrespondin end o the middle the purpose escribed.- Y

11. In sprinkler head, u link comprising outer and middle lneiiihers adapted-,tube soldered together, the lower portions of said outer members arranged to .extend Below 4the hedge .of the middle member., for ther purpose` In e. sprinkler head, s, link comprising outer stud middle 'plates provided with open; ings :1nd ada )ted to be soldered together, the

' lower endsf ol the outer jlates extendingbe- 'low the edge of the middle. pliite, uend the said ends of the outer plates beine'bent outwardly l ewy :from eneh other ond Llri'im'the middle plate whereby greater separation of the up- 1 perl-portions of the plates is permitted when l the solder melts, for the pur ose described.

l In testimony whereof I n xmy signature' l in presence of two witnesses.

GEoRGE E. HIBBARD.

i i l. '4 l l nlvitnesseg l S. OLIVIA Moons, BUnToN MAGAFEE.

plate, for 

